Women Around The World Bare All For Annual 'Go Topless Day'

Go Topless Day is celebrated annually in the US. Photo: AP/Mark LennihanSource:Whimn

Finally, a flurry of protests that didn't concern white supremacy, Donald Trump or freedom of speech.

The 10th annual Go Topless Day took place in at least 40 locations around the world over the weekend, which is all about a woman's right to go topless without fear of arrest or shame.

The global protest has been held every August since 2007, dedicated to ensuring the right for women to bare their chests in public if they wish on gender equality grounds. In America, the event coincides with Women's Equality Day, when ladies were given the right to vote.

In New York, at least 200 people of all ages took part in the high-energy parade through midtown Manhattan, led by a mostly female, mostly topless marching band.

Breasts of all sizes were bared for the march, while some participants wore X's or tape reading "censored" across their chests. Some sported signs that said, "My bod is not a crime," "equal rights for every body" and "Equalititty for everyone."

Activist Rebecca Barwick, 35, who travelled from Virginia for the protest, said: "It's important to send a message. These are our bodies. They should not be policed any other way than men's. Men walk around like this all the time, so why is it such a big deal?"

An activist during the Go Topless Day Parade in New York. Photo: AP/Kevin HagenSource:Whimn

NYC's event organiser Nadine Gary explained to the Huffington Post it is unfair for women to be publicly shamed or arrested if they choose to go topless ― a problem men don't face.

"In true equality, either everyone has it or no one has it," she argued, adding that after a decade of protesting, change is imminent.

"Far more women are activists than when we began," she said. "Women all over are sticking out their necks. And there is much less slut-shaming then there used to be."

In New York City, and the majority of the US, it's perfectly legal for women to be nude from the waist up in public. Yet, even with a top-free law firmly in effect, there have been cases of women being arrested on the grounds of "disorderly conduct".

At least 20 US cities marked the day, with participants taking to social media with the hashtag #FreetheNipple. The international effort also included events in cities where participants were protesting for similar rights, including Venice Beach, California; Denver, Colorado; and Phoenix, Arizona. Canadians joined in the disrobing in Montreal and Vancouver, while the French celebrated in Paris.

Charlotte Willis is whimn’s New York editor and writes about everything from breaking news and Trump’s latest tweet storm, to the weird and wonderful things happening in The City That Never Sleeps. Forever in search of a decent flat white to write home about, as well as NYC’s “best rooftop bar”, she can't get enough of the concrete jungle she now calls home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter for #realnews.